Priced at $25, this HO-scale SD24 diesel locomotive model arrives in early 1975. Atlas enters a new category of the hobby market, fully assembled diesel locomotives, with this high-hood EMD SD24. This unit was the first of six diesels produced by Roco in Austria for Atlas beginning in 1975. These models raised the standard for HO-scale plastic model trains in the mid-1970s. The road names introduced for this model’s 1975 debut would remain the only ones presented during its time in the Atlas line.

Railroad Model Craftsman’s March 1975 edition reviews Atlas’ SD24 in the magazine’s “Test Track” section.  The review includes pictures of Southern  Railway and Union Pacific models. What made this Roco-produced line of Atlas offerings unique and special back when they were new? The review notes some of the ground-breaking features of this SD24 release…hood doors that are grooved into the body instead of the more typical approach of making them raised on models…flexible nylon one-piece handrails…body mounted couplers…scale width hood. Most of these features are common in today’s market, but in 1975 they were eye-catching features that set the Atlas-Roco offerings apart from many other HO-scale diesel reproductions.

Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
No. 7003 -1975 release

Santa Fe
No. 7001 -1975 release

Southern Railway
No. 7004 -1975 release

Union Pacific
No. 7002 -1975 release

Undecorated
No. 7005 -1975 release